Tigre Uprising
by 12Frida39
Summary: Manny receives his El Tigre belt at the age of 8 years old, and he has to choose between risking his life to save the citizens of Miracle City, or, rescue Frida from Sartana without a fight, and risk the lives of the whole city, including his family.
1. THe Tigre Inside

**This story, for those of you who don't know, is basically about how Manny got his El Tigre belt. I'd recommend reading these author's notes because you could get the chance to make a request for me to write something.**

Chapter 1

In a town where villainy rules the streets night and day in the spicy cesspool of Miracle City, there lived a family that was known for their famous bloodline of heroes and villains, some were even undecided. They were the Riveras.

The hero of the family was Rodolfo, who is known by his superhero name, White Pantera. The villain of the family is none other than Grandpapi Rivera, who is well known among his villainous companions as Puma Loco.

The only one that is left out of this circle is little Manny Rivera. He has no superpower, but he is best friends with the young rockstar, Frida Suarez. However, what Manny does not know, is that his life is about to change... A lot!

...

"Manny, get up," shouted an anxious voice, coming from somewhere downstairs, "We're going to be late for your mother's performance!"

He heard footsteps rushing rapidly around the hallways, barely stopping to get the lazy 13 year old boy out of bed. Minutes had passed when he finally came downstairs, only to find that the house was quite empty.

_Where did everyone go?_ He thought, _Oh well, at least I can eat breakfast in peace._

He had spoken too soon, for someone came zooming straight for him and dragged him out the door by the neck of his shirt. As he was struggling to get out of his father's grip he was passed something that resembled a grilled cheese sandwich.

"Dad!" Manny wailed, through mouthfuls of burnt bread and cheese, "Do I have to come?"

"Your mother would be very disappointed if you didn't," he countered.

They reached the sidewalk, where a taxi waited, and sitting idol with the radio blasting. Manny's grandfather was already seated in the back, sitting on a very large suitcase so as not to raise suspicions that he was a child wearing a mask. As they drove past tall buildings, Manny felt a thrill growing inside him at the thought of his mother performing somewhere other than Miracle City.

When the taxi pulled up to the theatre his father handed him a ticket and said, "We have front row seats." This came as no surprise to him, because even when the tickets were all sold out, his mother always got them the best seats. During the performance Manny found himself crying with joy every time a song ended and, apart from Grandpapi picking loose change from stranger's pockets, it was just as beautiful as always.

When the performance was over, Manny wanted more than ever to get a souvenir. He soon found a shop which resembled a lemonade stand that was built by someone no older than 1 year. The merchant was frail and looked as though he should have retired a long time ago. He was staring right at Manny and was holding out what seemed to be a belt of some kind.

Noticing that he was desperate for an item to buy he threw it hastily in Manny's direction and shouted, "It's free!"

He began to pack up, leaving with all his stuff but he left the rugged stand behind, even before Manny could ask what the buckle was for.

"If you have a souvenir already let's go!" his father screamed from the sidewalk, where he stood beside the taxi.

He was so excited, that when he got home he called Frida over to his house and told her how he'd come to get his newfound treasure.

"What do you think it does?" she asked, looking intently at Manny's belt, "And what's the buckle for?"

Manny sighed remembering the merchant's hasty retreat, "I tried to ask the guy that gave it to me, but he packed up and left before I could."

The two friends sat there and thought for a while until a storm broke out and rain began to pour down incessantly. Soon after, Manny's father came into the room holding the phone.

"Frida, your father says you're going to have to stay here until the storm passes through."

When he left, Manny and Frida thought for a while longer, until Frida came up with a crazy idea, but one that might work.

"Why don't you try spinning the buckle?" she suggested, and when Manny didn't respond, she went around the room clucking like a mental chicken. This made Manny furious; he had no choice but to try the buckle.

"Alright, alright," he shouted, trying to make himself heard above Frida's loud squawking, "I'll try it, but that doesn't mean that if it does nothing that you can tell the whole school about it."

He put the belt on as a flash of lightning cut through the sky. Looking to Frida he added, "Here goes nothing."

As he spun the buckle there was a wave of green light and the power went out, which was followed by Manny's father rushing into the room.

"What happened? Where's Manny?" he asked looking around, frantically looking for his son.

They heard a thud from somewhere along one of the walls and terrified moaning.

"I'm guessing over there," she said, rushing over to where the sound had come from.

As she was looking around to see where her best friend was, something picked her up and she found herself staring into blazing, emerald green eyes. Rodolfo had found a candle and was attempting to light it, when the power came back on.

The room was filled with a blazing bright light and, when their eyes finally adjusted, they found themselves staring at some strange person having some sort of fit.


	2. Frida's Gone!

Chapter 2

Manny blinked in the harsh light, all the while trying desperately to rid himself of the information flooding his mind.

"Help me!" he cried, racing around in circles trying to remember where he was, "Make it stop!"

He let was about to let out a fierce scream, but what came out was an ear splitting roar. He rushed over to where a blue haired girl stood, dazed at the scene that was unfolding before her eyes.

"Who are you," he asked, circling her questioningly.

She let out a gasp of horror, clearly stating that she was shocked to hear him ask such a question.

"Why are you asking me, when the answer is obvious?" she countered, taking a step toward him, forcing Manny to step back.

Suddenly his mind became clear and he could focus properly once again.

"Frida!" he exclaimed, wondering why she was backing towards the door, "I'm fine."

She was shaking, terrified as to why this stranger was talking to her.

He was about to ask what had happened when she blurted out, "Tell me something only Manny would know!"

_Why would she be asking that?_ He wondered, and then suddenly he remembered that before all this he had spun the buckle on the belt that he was now wearing.

He felt something furry brushing his ankles and looked down to find that he had a tail. Rushing over to the nearest mirror, he looked at himself seeing that he, in fact, looked somewhat catlike. He suddenly remembered that Frida was waiting impatiently for him to answer her question. He searched desperately for something that he knew about his best friend, something that she wouldn't have told anybody else. After thinking hard he finally found the answer he had been scrounging for.

"Zoe Aves, she's your worst nightmare, you hate her more than any other person on the planet and you've always sworn to get your revenge on her," he said this to her while looking her in the eyes, desperately hoping that she would believe him.

Suddenly her eyes grew wide with excitement and she bolted for the door screaming at the top of her lungs.

"My best friend is..." she stopped to look at Manny and asked, "What's your name?"

He didn't even need to ask which one she meant, he knew. He raised his voice and screamed something that he could barely make out, until Frida continued her screams of joy.

"MY BEST FRIEND IS EL TIGRE!" she screamed, running out into the streets.

He was about to follow her downstairs when he heard something coming from his room, and before he could figure out what was going on, he heard it again. It was the sound of a guitar, coming from his room!

He rushed upstairs, wondering if Frida's band, The Atomic Sombreros, were waiting for her so they could rehearse. He arrived at his bedroom doorway and he was greeted by a cloud of smoke. His dad was lying on the floor unconscious and there was a huge hole in his bedroom wall. Manny was mortified that somebody could destroy half his room with a simple guitar in less time that he could take a few paces.

He could hear something coming from outside, but he couldn't make it out until he heard it again. It was a person screaming more so out of fear than excitement.

He ran over to the window and he saw nothing but smoke, then he heard the scream once again. His heart started pounding. He recognized that scream.

_Frida!_ He raced down the stairs, faster than he thought he ever could. Reaching the streets he began frantically searching for his best friend, not knowing what danger he would face if he did.

He was about to call out to Frida, when he heard someone strum a guitar from somewhere nearby. He was thrust aside and landed with a thud on the sidewalk. Still dazed, he felt himself being lifted into the air by somewhat bony fingers.

"If you want to save your friend," said a century aged voice, "Come to my layer."

He was thrust onto the ground once again and he heard the pounding of hooves. He could also hear the cries of someone that was screaming at him.

"Manny!" the voice shrieked, shaken with fear, "Help me!"

He made a feeble attempt to get up, but he flopped back down, for there was too much smoke. His vision became dark and the world swirled around him. Manny could only keep thinking to himself.

_What have I done?_

...

Frida woke with a start, expecting to wake up in her familiar bedroom. However, what she could see were metal bars stretching along one wall, a table with cards and an empty, metal cup. She was wondering to herself where, of all the places in Miracle City, that she could be.

Suddenly a skeleton woman appeared out of the shadows, with a guitar hung over her shoulder. Frida didn't even have to guess who she was. She was the most feared, most dangerous villain in the whole of Miracle City. Sartana of the dead. The reason for why she was feared was mostly because of her mystic guitar.

"You know that my friend will come and get me, don't you?" she spat at her, ensuring that Sartana knew what she had coming for her.

"Yes," she answered in a voice that was surprisingly calm, "Which will bring him to his death."

Frida could not suppress her growing fear any longer; she had to warn Manny of the dangers of fighting Sartana before it was too late. The only problem was, there was no way she could reach him in time.


	3. The Battle Begins

**The secret word for this chapter is GABAHANZAFLOYGEN! Hope that you can get the answer to me in time. Please try your best ppl!**

Chapter 3

Manny woke, blinking away the blur of his fretful sleep the night before. He looked toward the wall which had the gaping hole, only to find that it had been repaired. When he came downstairs he saw the news from yesterday afternoon in the paper. The television was showing possibly the most boring program Manny had ever seen. All of a sudden, the original program was interrupted by something far more important.

"We interrupt your scheduled programming to take you to the layer of Sartana of the dead," declared the announcer.

Manny was about to go upstairs, when he heard the same voice from yesterday.

"Thank you for coming, for I have a very important message for someone." Turning to the camera, Sartana added, "Manny Rivera, if you want your friend back, come and get her.

The storm that had passed through must have made a turnaround, for the power was cut, once again, and Manny was left in the darkness. He couldn't bear another day without Frida, which left him with no choice. He had to go and rescue her.

_But how can I do that?_ He thought. He didn't even know where Sartana's layer was. _This is hopeless!_ He had to rescue Frida, even if it cost him his own life.

….

Hours passed on, which seemed more and more like days to Frida. She couldn't help but think to herself that Manny had given up and would leave her there.

_He would never give up_, she thought, trying to lift her own spirits,_ he always comes back._ But she couldn't help thinking that she would have to save herself. As she began to search for an escape route, Frida heard Sartana talking to someone.

"Go get Manny Rivera and guide him here," she said to some one of her Calavera Banditos, "And bring him to me… Alive."

Many more hours passed, and yet the skeleton had not returned. Just as Sartana was about to send another, when there was an explosion of coins, obscuring the view of what was happening. Without warning the door to the cell that kept her contained flew open and a very familiar voice shouted, "Get out of here!"

Frida bolted for the door, running as fast as she could, but then something stopped her. She couldn't just leave Manny to fight Sartana on his own, she had to help him. When she turned around she could see only Sartana standing on top of a pile of coins, looking around to see where her target had gone. When Sartana's back was turned, Frida felt something furry brushing against her.

"Let's get out of here," said an achingly familiar voice, ushering her toward the exit.

When they finally got out, Frida looked around, wondering who could possibly have gotten her out of there without having to fight Sartana. Then she realized that the only person who could have done this so easily was the only person she trusted the most.

"We should get to safety before she realizes that I got in there and busted you out without a fight." Manny was shaking nervously, showing signs that he didn't want to be here, especially if Sartana was on a rampage. They raced back to Manny's house and hoped that Sartana was not following them.

"How come you took so long?" Frida asked when they were finally inside, "I was waiting for hours for you to come and get me!"

She turned around and saw that Manny lay snoring on the couch, oblivious to what was going on in the world of reality. He was probably tired out from rescuing her, so there really was no reason to blame him. Daring not to wake him she went over to the window and gazed into the bustling streets below. The storm was beginning to clear, however, not a single soul dared to step out into the sunshine that was now pouring down from gaps in between the ominous gray clouds.

What's going on? Frida thought, still puzzled at the eerie silence down below. The power was restoring and the television began to run the original program once more. Frida went over and changed the channel to the news, wondering if she could get any information as to why the streets were empty. When she reached the channel where they advertised the most breaking news in Miracle City, she was surprised to find that the channel was not broadcasting. The screen was just covered with some sort of jamming code.

_How could this have happened? Frida thought, There's usually something going on that they need to get out._

This was all too strange; someone must be messing with the power to the whole city. Sartana was up to something, and Frida knew all to well that she would go to extreme lengths to get the fight that Manny deserved.


	4. Preparation

**You guys still have the chance to win a free request, no denials, so get the answers in quick!**

Chapter 4

The day before had been so exhausting that Manny didn't even remember half of it. He had made a desperate attempt to rescue Frida without getting into a fight with Sartana. Although he had done so successfully, he had provoked her into going to great lengths to make sure that he would not escape without a fight. He needed to find out every little detail about Sartana's past. Without that information he would surely lose the fight that could end his life.

_Who would know her more than any other person in the whole city?_ Manny thought, pacing around in circles, trying to think of somebody he knew that could possibly carry such a burden. As if by the worst luck possible, his father came in carrying a tray that contained yet another burnt grilled cheese sandwich and a glass of milk that looked as though it had expired five years ago.

"Dad?" he asked, wondering why he always brought him breakfast that never stayed down, "Is that for senor Chapi or for me?"

His father stopped in his tracks realizing that he had intended to give this disgusting meal to the pet bird they owned, which only knew how to say one thing. At that moment they heard a loud screech coming from downstairs.

"Viva pantalones!" came the voice of an angered bird from the lower level of the house.

Rodolfo rushed down the flight of stairs leaving Manny alone in his room. He loathed that bird, but at times he was grateful that he had his back, especially when his father made the worst breakfast of all time.

When Manny attempted to get up his head started spinning and he couldn't focus properly. The rescue from yesterday had knocked him out stone cold when he had finally gotten home. He lay back down and stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering if he would ever be able to get somewhere without tripping over his own feet.

Manny fell asleep once again, with one thought in his head. Would Sartana go as far as to bring the fight to him?

...

Sunlight filtered in through the open curtains, shinning down on to the hard, wooden floor. Frida was seated by the table with a plate of cold scrambled eggs in front of her. She wasn't hungry at all. She had left Manny's house last night with him snoring loudly on the couch, yet Frida couldn't help feeling guilty. Her capture had led to Manny coming to rescue her from Sartana of the Dead, and not only that. He had gotten her out of Sartana's layer without a fight, which would no doubt end with him lying motionless on the ground.

Frida could not look at the food without feeling queasy. Even the thought of Manny getting into a fight that he would surely lose was enough to make her head spin. After her father left for work, she snuck out the back door and dashed over to Manny's house without even thinking that Sartana could be around the next corner.

Finally arriving at his house she rang the doorbell. She was shocked to find that Manny's father answered the door.

"Come on in Frida," he said politely, stepping aside to let her in, "Manny is upstairs."

She entered Manny's room expecting to see him snoring on the floor, but the room was completely empty. Frida searched everywhere for her best friend but she couldn't find him. All of a sudden the door closed behind her and the curtains to the window were abruptly shut. She stood motionless in the center of the room, wondering if this was some sort of trick that Sartana was up to. Frida turned slowly, looking around for a pair of glowing red eyes, but all she could see was the darkness of the room that surrounded her. When she was about to race for the door, she heard footsteps approaching her and a voice softly calling her name.

Frida whipped around and she found herself staring into familiar emerald green eyes. She stumbled backward and had the breath knocked out of her. Darkness clouded her gaze for minutes on end before she could see clearly once again. She found that the room was once again filled with light and Manny was staring out the window. She went over to him and looked outside.

"Some day yesterday huh?" she said, hoping to brighten the mood, but Manny just stood there and said nothing.

Manny let out a long sigh, laying his head on his hands he continued to stare aimlessly out the window. It felt like half an hour before he finally found his voice

"When I spun the buckle for the first time, it was like a flood was coming through, leaving every bit of information in my head," he moaned, looking to where he had rescued Frida the other day he added, "I can't help feeling that it was meant for me to have it."

The two friends sat in silence and pandered this idea for quite some time before Frida spoke up, with the light of humour in her eyes.

"If you're strong enough to get me out of Sartana's layer without a fight, surely you must think that you could do even more than that?" she suggested, looking out to the deserted morning streets. Frida looked to where her friend was standing, but she saw only an excited El Tigre. She knew that he wanted to confirm his own strength, and the only way to find out was to challenge Sartana.


	5. The Flood

**If you guys haven't gotten your answers in by the time Chapter 13 goes up, you have lost the only chance for a free, no denial rquest. Good Luck!**

Chapter 5

It was the weekend and Manny and Frida had expected it to be the best weekend in history. Unfortunately for them a rainstorm was bearing down on the whole city and rain poured down, showing no signs of letting up any time soon. Within minutes the streets were flooding and people were struggling to get out of the rapids engulfing their homes. Within moments houses were already disappearing at a rapid rate and firefighters were trying desperately to rescue as many as hey could.

The two friends sat on the couch watching the news. Suddenly Manny looked to Frida with a pleading gaze. She knew that they needed as much help as they could get out in the streets, and she couldn't just say no to Manny's puppy eyes.

"Go, but don't get killed out there." she cautioned, knowing that the rapids could easily wash him away.

He was gone with a mighty growl, leaving with the window wide open. Frida turned to the television and saw the announcer soaked and, although he had a raincoat on, he was still soaked.

"Firefighters are at the scene trying to rescue citizens from what they are calling the worst storm of the season," he screamed over the howling winds trying desperately to remain where he was standing. "Although they are struggling with a lot of houses flooding, it seems as though there is someone helping them."

The announcer turned and the camera followed him, pointing to El Tigre who was already soaked himself.

"Now, here beside me we have the mysterious helper here today. What's you're name son?" he asked handing him the microphone.

"El Tigre, 'Super Macho Fighter'." He added with a wry grin spreading from ear to ear.

"Well folks, that's the new El Tigre for you. Now I have to go before our cameraman topples over."

With that the camera turned off and the screen went blank. It seemed like hours had passed by before Manny returned with many bruises and a few scratches.

"Remind me never to do that again," he sighed, sounding out of breath, "At least not without some help."

He lay down lazily on his bed and immediately fell asleep. Not too long after, he was snoring louder than an earthquake. Frida went downstairs and attempted to fall asleep, but that would hardly be likely with the little dweeb upstairs. She went to the fridge and searched for something to eat, but instead she found a note that read, 'There are churros in the microwave.' It was written in Manny's handwriting, he knew her so well. When she reached the microwave there was another note written.

'Sorry, my mistake. They're in the cupboard.' Yet again, when she went to the designated area, the churros were not there. She was beginning to doubt that she would ever find something to eat, but there was one thing that always kept her going, even in the worst situations. A Suarez never left anything unfinished. She proceeded with her grueling search for churros, growing even hungrier with every note she found.

When she found the last note she read it over very carefully, trying to ensure that she didn't overlook anything. When she read the note for the first time, it seemed as though there was nothing apart from the words, 'Two shelves over, one down.' It was confusing at first, but reading it over again, she found there was fine print, just below Manny's signature. The words were hard to decipher, however, Frida wouldn't give up so easily. Squinting hard she drew the piece of paper closer and read the miniscule writing.

'Roof… Come.' Those were the only two words that made any sense whatsoever. She was a little skeptical about why there would be churros on the roof, but she was starving and would possibly kill to get food.

As she reached the attic, she snuck gingerly over to the skylight, wondering if she shouldn't go up. Just as she was about to reconsider, she thought about the one thing that every Suarez was famous for. _Never leave anything half done!_ Frida let out a long sigh, and opening the window she went up onto the roof, half expecting to see another note, but what she saw was surprisingly not what she had expected. Manny was sitting on the edge of the gutters with a plate just beside him, piled high with at least, what, 30 churros at best. It seemed weird that he would be out here at such a late hour, even after the flood from earlier this afternoon. She approached cautiously, questioning herself.

_Could this possibly be a dream?_ Frida wanted to turn and flee, but the lure of churros just sitting there, waiting to be eaten, was too much for her to bear. As she sat down beside her best friend, she looked in the apparent direction that he was staring, but saw nothing. Frida looked to Manny, hoping to see the person she knew, but there was an air about him that had her thinking that his mind wasn't on the fight to come. She couldn't handle the dead silence anymore; she had to know what Manny was thinking about. When she turned to face him, she found herself staring into his eyes. There was something about his stare that made her feel safer than usual. it was like there was a shield surrounding them with everlasting protection from the dangers of the outside world. Without even realizing it, she leaned against him, placing her head in the crook of his neck, grateful that he made no effort to push her off.

As the moon began to rise over the horizon, she couldn't help but feeling tired. Just as the last of the stars appeared and before she fell asleep, one last question almost kept her awake throughout the whole night.

_Am I falling for my best friend?_


	6. The Scar

**You can still submit your answers for the secret word to me if you would like to recommend a story for me to write. Just make sure that you give me enough information that I can use to write it, otherwise I won't be able to come up with anything.**

**Alright, I'll shut up now...**

Chapter 6

Manny eagerly wanted to prove his new strength to someone, but the only person he could think of that would want to fight him at the moment was Sartana of the Dead. There was no way he could win a fight against her; he would be finished before it even began. If he was to fight her alone, he had to know if she had a weakness, if she even had one. There was only one that he could think of, and that was her guitar. The question was, how could he get to it without nearly getting himself killed in the process?

_There must be another way! _Manny thought. He couldn't just go up to her and ask to smash her guitar._ Only a fool would even think of trying that._ He could ask his father to come along and distract Sartana, but even so, it would still be a challenge because of the fact that she had her Calavera bandidos to help her. If he was to find another weakness, he had to find it fast. In the streets below, people were running in all directions absolutely petrified at what was going on. Suddenly the air was filled with the familiar strum of guitar strings.

_Sartana!_

…

Everywhere people were screaming in terror, running away from whatever was roaming the streets. However there were a few voices that screamed something else.

Frida leaned even further out of her bedroom window and tried to hear what they were saying. The voices of the helpless citizens below reached her ears, ringing clearly.

"We're all doomed," they would scream, running in circles trying to find safety. But there was one voice in particular that Frida had heard, and there it was again! Someone was crying out to the whole city, "Somebody help us!"

There was only one family that she knew that could solve this, and Frida was sure that they would be out there trying to save these innocent lives that were at stake. As she looked closer she saw the outline of a guitar and she didn't even have to guess who it was, she knew. Sartana was looking for Manny, openly daring him for a challenge. Sure enough Frida could see the outline of El Tigre, standing face to face with Sartana. Before she knew what was going on, there was a blast of green light coming from where they were standing and nothing was visible for quite some time. If anything, all she heard was the mumble of confusion coming from behind the thick layer of smoke. That's when she heard it. The one voice that seemed to rip her heart in two. She couldn't make out what the person was saying until it came again.

"El Tigre…" was all she heard, and she didn't even need to guess what the rest of his sentence was, she had a pretty good idea.

…

Manny woke in a strange place that he had never seen before, with strange walls surrounding him. He was about to get up when great pain greeted him, preventing him from moving any further. He unintentionally let out a groan of pain and flopped back down on the bed. He looked carefully around the room, taking in every detail that he could memorize. He finally discovered that he must have been in the hospital. Just as he was about to make another attempt to get up, he heard a voice coming from outside the door, one that was laden with anxiety, one that was painfully familiar.

_Frida._ He thought back to the fight down in the streets with Sartana of the Dead, which he had lost terribly. There was no doubt that Frida would be worried about him, for just before he had lost consciousness, he had heard somebody shout, "El Tigre… Is dead!" After that everything had gone blank.

The door opening brought him out of his thoughts and back to the reality of life. He struggled to get up, but once again, without any succession. He heard rapid footsteps rushing over to him and the next thing he knew was that Frida had him in a tight grasp, not wanting to let him go, for fear she'd lose him again. Manny fought for breath as she pulled him closer, but was finally relieved that she let go. When she looked him in the eyes she seemed as though she was on the verge of tears. After a long pause Frida finally found her voice, trying hard to keep it from shaking.

"I thought that you were… and I didn't know if it was true… and you…" Her voice trailed off and Manny could see a tear running down her cheek. "You just wouldn't get up."

Suddenly Manny's mind was swirling with questions, mainly because he was still a little dazed from earlier this afternoon. He didn't want to be here, it was just too much to take in all at once. Manny was trying to soothe the pain by thinking about what it felt like to have superpowers, when it hit him. The feeling he got whenever he transformed into El Tigre was a feeling of strength and happiness, so powerful that it could wash away any pain. He was reaching for his belt when the nurse came in and, seeing that he was reaching for his belt, immediately left the room screaming with terror.

"Security to room 265!" was all Manny heard. After he spun his buckle, everything was going darker by the second. With the last of his remaining strength, he tried to callout to Frida, but she had already left. Unable to fight the growing darkness he closed his eyes, hoping that this was all a dream. When Manny finally woke he was once again greeted by an even greater pain than the last. He was about to question why this was the case when he saw that Frida was sitting at the edge of his bed, looking at him rather anxiously. He was about to ask her what had happened when he noticed that he could barely see anything out of his left eye.

Frida spoke up, but she didn't expect her to explain everything that had happened. "When you spun your buckle, it drained out all of your energy," she whispered, with a somewhat tentative voice. Manny was about to ask why his left eye was swollen, but Frida spoke the answer that he had been waiting to hear as though she had read his mind. "After you passed out, the door locked behind us so we couldn't get to you." She paused for a moment as if to choose her words carefully, and then continued. "I stayed behind because I couldn't leave you alone."

There was a long silence before Manny finally found the courage to speak. Even so, it was hard to find the right words to say. He was about to comfort Frida, but something stopped him and almost gave him the impulse to kiss her. He didn't need anybody to tell him what this meant; he knew perfectly well what the situation was. Manny was falling for Frida.


End file.
